Eye Care Services
An Eye Exam That's Truly Comprehensive
Your history: we want to get to know you
It is our belief that a thorough eye exam always starts with a complete history of one's general health, eye health, and occupational information. That's why we always start with a lengthy history form, and we ask for your patience as you fill it out!
Preliminary measurements
Ishihara Color Vision: This is a very sensitive test for color vision problems. Research has shown that up to 8% of men and 1 out of 200 women have a color vision deficiencies. We also know that certain eye diseases can affect the way in which we see colors.
Depth Perception: This is a measurement of one's ability to see in 3D. Poor depth perception can cause people to have difficulty driving, playing sports, or watching 3D movies, and can be caused by many different eye conditions.
Automated Auto-Refractor: This is a specialized machine that shines a light into your eye. By interpreting the light that reflects back from your eye, this device can produce an approximation of your eye glass prescription. This measurement gives the doctor a starting point in measuring your final prescription.
Non-Contact Tonometry (NCT): This test is a measurement of the eye pressure, also known as intraocular pressure. A machine blows a small puff of air into the eye, then measures the velocity of the air traveling back. A computation is performed immediately to determine the pressure inside of the eyes. Increased eye pressure is a major risk factor in Glaucoma and our eye care professionals recommend having eye pressures measured once a year. Do you just hate the "air puff" test? No worries, just let one of us know, and we'll use a different technique!
Matrix FDT Visual Field Analyzer: This machine allows us to measure your peripheral vision, aka your "side" vision. Many people cannot discern if a small amount of peripheral vision is lost and as a result, eye diseases can go undiagnosed for long periods of time.
Sitting down with the Optometrist
First, lets touch base to see what your need are. You'll know what to expect from the eye exam and have explanations of every step.
The eye testing begins with as assessment of visual acuity. We will determine how your eyes are working together, if you have adequate focusing power, and if your eye movements and pupil reactions are normal.
The eyeglass prescription measurement: This is performed by an automated phoropter- a machine that digitally controls the lenses. The automated phoropter allows us to find the most accurate prescription possible for your glasses, and allows the Optometrist to do testing that is not possible with the traditional manual machines.
A slit lamp examination: This is a very specialized microscope that is utilized to assess the eye health.
Dilated Eye Examination: If it's your first time with us, we'll likely recommend it. We recommend frequent dilated eye examinations to rule out eye diseases. It is our firm belief that the dilated eye exam be a part of the comprehensive eye examination (we do not charge extra for it).
Are you diabetic? Patients with diabetes can have many complications in the eye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Diabetes Association recommends that a diabetes eye exam be performed every year. Communication with your PCP will relay results of your eye exam along with any recommendations in managing your diabetes.
Once the testing is complete, our optometrists enjoy a traditional discussion and education! Recommendations and concerns are discussed, but we also love to hear what patients truly need. You'll always get an honest opinion from us!
Contact Lens Options
Disposable Soft Contact Lenses: These are thin contact lenses that usually are replaced daily, bi-weekly, or monthly. They are very comfortable to wear and are very well tolerated by most people. Disposable soft contact lenses are widely available and can correct the vast majority of vision prescriptions.
Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses, AKA "Hard" Lenses: As the name suggests, these contacts are much thicker and more rigid, albeit smaller in size. People who have special prescriptions such as a high amount of astigmatism can often get better vision with RGP's. RGP's are initially not as comfortable as a soft contact lens, and are typically replaced once a year.
Synergeyes "Hybrid" Contact Lenses: These lenses are made with a RGP in the center and a soft contact lens in the periphery. This option can present a more comfortable patient experience over an RGP.
Multifocal Contact Lenses: AKA "Bifocal" or "Progressive" contact lenses. These contact lenses are typically used for more mature patients who need both distance and near vision prescriptions. We currently offer them in both soft and RGP contacts.
Monovision Contact Lenses: Monovision contact lenses aim to have one eye used for distance vision and one eye used for near vision. This if often used in more mature patients who need both distance and near vision. This option is most commonly recommended with disposable soft contact lenses.
Orthokeratology (aka Ortho-K): Orthokeratology is a technique in which a Rigid Gas Permeable lens is worn at night to temporarily re-shape the cornea. This allows the patient to have good daytime vision without glasses or contacts. Our optometrists use CRT as an effective form of myopia management. A specialized instrument called a Corneal Topographer is used to map the curvature of the cornea. This allows the optometrist to fit the lenses with high accuracy.
Scleral lenses: Scleral contact lenses are custom-designed rigid gas permeable lenses with a large diameter. The large diameter allows scleral lenses to provide more comfort than a traditional RGP lens, while offering the same clear vision. Scleral lenses are usually recommended for patients who have abnormal eye curvatures, but can also be a great solution for someone who has dry eyes.
Myopia Management
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a condition in which an individual can see objects that are close to them, but cannot see objects that are far away. This happens when the length of the eye is too long and light is focused in front of the retina (vs on the retina itself). This causes distant objects to appear blurry. The goal of myopia management is to reduce the progression of myopia.
At Focus Optometry, we recommend 4 different techniques for Myopia Control:
Bifocal/Progressve eye glasses
MiSight 1 day soft contact lenses (FDA approved in 2019 for "Myopia Control")
Orthokeratology (aka Ortho-K or OK)
Atropine Therapy
We recommend scheduling an appointment with one of our eye care professionals to determine which treatment is right for you.
LASER VISION CORRECTION
Have you been thinking about laser vision correction but aren't sure if you're a good candidate or simply have questions about it? We'd love to help. Our doctors have been co-managing LASIK/PRK for over 15 years. That means that they perform pre-operative testing and manage post-operative healing, while the surgery itself is performed by an experienced ophthalmologist.
To see if you qualify, you'll first need a comprehensive eye exam with us. You will then be referred to a surgeon for a free LASIK/PRK consultation. The consultation will help determine if you are a good candidate for surgery, and which procedure. Once the surgery date is set, our doctors will perform pre-operative measurements. You will then have the surgery and 1 day post operative visit with the surgeon. Our doctors will continue to monitor your post operative vision and healing to ensure the greatest success.
RED EYE/URGENT EYE CARE
Our eye care professionals recommend having your eyes evaluated at the first signs of a problem. Here are a few symptoms that require immediate evaluation by an eye care professional.
Symptoms requiring urgent evaluation
1. Sudden onset of flashes and floaters
2. Sudden loss of vision in one eye (or both)
3. Foreign body or chemical exposure to eye
4. Sudden eye pain
Contact lens wearers are at higher risk of developing an eye infection, and should monitor for the signs of infection. If an infection is suspected, contact lens wear should be discontinued immediately and an appointment made as soon as possible.
Symptoms of eye infection
1. Mucous discharge in the morning
2. Unusually blurry vision (with contacts/glasses on)
3. Red and irritated eye
4. Unusual sensitivity to light
5. Eye pain
If you are having an eye problem but are unsure of what to do, we recommend calling us first to determine next steps for proper eye care.